Not 1, not 2, but… 10 Champions!

Trek-Segafredo took home 10 National Championships titles - the most amongst all pro teams

The week dedicated to National Championships is special. No other sport takes a break from its regular scheduled competition to allow its athletes to travel home and compete in their respective championship races.

In most countries around the world, in the last week of June, individual time trial and road championships are held, and champions are crowned. The honor of wearing your country’s colors for the next 365 days is special, and the Nationals Championships are a big goal for many.

This year Trek-Segafredo won six Elite time trial titles and four Elite road titles amongst its athletes, the most of all pro teams. Add in two U23 titles, three silvers and four bronze medals – now that’s something to write home about!

Opening high-5

The traditional week started in the best way possible for Trek-Segafredo. Putting their Speed Concepts to the test in six National Championships, the Team’s riders won five titles!

Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy), Ellen Van Dijk, Bauke Mollema (Netherlands), and Toms Skujins (Latvia) won Elite time trial titles. At the same time, Shirin Van Anrooij (Netherlands) clocked the best among the U23s.

Never too late: Bauke raced and won his first time trial title in his 15 years as a pro. // Photo: Bettini

A day later, two more

One day later, Audrey Cordon-Ragot (France) and Leah Thomas (USA) added two more time trial championships to the Trek-Segafredo team. Audrey successfully defended her win last year, while Leah won her first after finishing three times with bronze medals.

Not a bad tally for the Speed Concept around the world: seven championship wins in five countries.

An Audrey encore

Two days after her success in the time trial, Audrey Cordon-Ragot won a two-up sprint to the line in the road race,  Audrey last won the road title two years ago, but this was her first time winning both and taking a historic double at the French Championships.

In the Netherlands, Shirin van Anrooij almost won the Elite women’s race, sprinting to a close second place and was recognized on the podium as the first in the U23 category.  We expect this young rising star to be on the top step in the next years!

Toujours Audrey! //Photo ©sprintcycling

The double Time Trial & Road Race is a special win that very few athletes have managed to achieve, only three in the history of French women's cycling. Even now, I have not fully realized this achievement, but the pride is enormous.
- Audrey Cordon-Ragot

Another podium celebration for Audrey // photo ©sprintcycling

Grande finale

The last day of National Championships week saw the most action for our athletes as most countries race the Elite road titles as a grande finale. Trek-Segafredo saw action in 10 countries and came away with three big wins.

Elisa Balsamo (Italy) added a National Championship gold medal to her collection. (We want to know: will she wear the tricolor under the rainbows?)

From one Elisa to another //photo ©SprintCycling

The tricolor stays in Trek-Segafredo.// photo ©sprintcycling

Over in potato land, our Latvians worked together to keep the road title in the Team. Emils Liepins defended Toms’ win of 2021, and both will proudly display the Latvian colors in time trials and road races respectively for the following year.

Emils keeps the jersey in the team. //photo: Maris Vancevics

Our two Latvian champs // photo: Maris Vancevics

Last but indeed not least occurred in Denmark. After attacking the breakaway, Alexander Kamp took a solo win, the second Danish title of his career. And to show he’s ready for Copenhagen next week, Mads Pedersen sprinted to the silver medal from the chasing group to give Trek-Segafredo a 1-2 finish.

What a week: 12 titles (counting U23) and 10 Elite champions crowned.  There will be a few more colors in our Trek-Segafredo kits next year.